Maple Leafs to meet Bruins in playoffs after loss to Panthers: ‘We’ll be ready’.
BOSTON — The Bruins ended the week needing one win to capture their second straight Atlantic Division, but Tuesday’s loss to Ottawa combined with Florida’s win over Toronto meant the Bruins finished second.
Boston will Toronto in a best-of-seven first-round series that is expected to start Saturday at TD Garden.
No schedule has been announced and it’s possible there won’t be one until the rest of the NHL season, which runs until Thursday, is complete. But the Bruins are operating with the expectation that they’ll host Game 1 on Saturday (likely at night because Toronto is a huge TV draw in Canada) and Game 2 on Monday.
The Celtics are expected to open their postseason on Sunday at the Garden. While it’s possible to host both sports in the same day, it’s unlikely.
The Bruins finished 4-0 against the Leafs during the regular season. Two of those were 4-1 wins with Jeremy Swayman in net. The other two were a shootout win and an overtime victory. Boston extended its winning streak to seven games against Toronto this season. The Leafs last beat the Bruins on Nov. 22, 2022.
The winner of that series will get the winner of the battle of Florida as the Panthers face Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
